LevelUp, The Vancouver Island game industry association, will be welcoming dozens of video game developers from across North America this fall for the fourth edition of OrcaJam as part of the inaugural Thinklandia Festival. So what’s an OrcaJam? Simply put, it’s an event where a group of like-minded people get together and work on what they love; making games for 48 hours straight. Programmers, artists, audio engineers, board game designers… anyone interested in game development is welcome. Kicking off Friday, September 6th (6pm), and running through Sunday September 8th (6pm), OrcaJam lasts the entire weekend and includes a series of panel discussions, keynote speakers, a game showcase and judging panel and prizes at the end!

“Victoria has a young, vibrant video game development community that’s growing every year, with more studios and indie game creators popping up all the time. Game Jams give game developers the opportunity to get together, socialize, and do what we love doing most: make games,” said Chris Tihor, LevelUp / Event Organizer.

Clearly, the Victoria video game industry is booming, with dozens of independent studios like KANO/APPS and DJArts producing titles alongside notable majors like Microsoft, Gamehouse, KIXEYE and Zynga. Hundreds of jobs and millions in revenue each year make gaming one of the hottest segments of Vancouver Island’s $2B+/year technology sector.

“Victoria, BC is one of the best places in the world to live, period. Couple that with an awesome pipeline of local talent, a strong indie gaming scene and anchor gaming studios like Microsoft, KIXEYE and GameHouse, there are lots of opportunities for people who want to work in the gaming industry but also enjoy a better quality of life. My partners and I knew this five years ago when we started KANO/APPS here and we continue to revel in the hockey stick growth of our industry. Come out to OrcaJam and learn more about Victoria’s best kept secret,” said Tim Teh, Co-Founder + CEO at KANO/APPS.